selectin

noun

se·lec·tin sə-ˈlek-tin

: any of various sugar-binding proteins found on the surface of cells that are involved in the calcium-dependent adhesion of cells (such as white blood cells) to other cells (such as endothelial cells lining blood vessels) and that mediate the migration of cells to sites of inflammation

Called selectins, these proteins appear on the surface of the endothelial cells lining blood vessels after injured tissues nearby release powerful signaling compounds known as cytokines.—